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We knew there was going to be a Fiat 500 Convertible , but we didn’t realize Fiat was working on one of those full-length, Citroën 2CV-esque cloth sunroof things. The ahead-of-the-curve opinion-formers over at Next Autos seem to think the car will receive the clunky Cabriolet Coach designation, but we’re not sure if all those chrome letters would fit on the back of the diminutive Cinquecento. While this soft top Fiat 500 is significantly less gay than the Castagna Tender Two , like all modern retros, it’s still extremely limp-wristed. The coup de grace, in the form of a Mini Convertible-rivaling full-convertible 500 is expected to arrive some time next year. If you’re comfortable with your sexuality and you want people to know it, or you’re just a cute young girl, go for it. Just watch out for Audi Q7s headed in your direction. [via Next Autos ]
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With yacht-owning merrymakers in mind, Castagna has turned a perfectly serviceable Fiat 500 into an electric tender. To do so, they scrapped the engine in favor of an electric motor and batteries (capable of 87 mph), removed the doors and cut off the roof. Quickly discovering that the de-topped 500 had a tendency to fold in half over bumps, they raised the doorsills to brace the chassis. The interior has been redone in wood and a blue/white striped cloth, all the better to accent the Chanel sailor outfits its elderly, leather-faced owners are sure to wear. We expect to see one submerged off the Monaco pier in the near future, surrounded by fishes zapped dead by its waterlogged batteries. galleryPost('fiat500tendertwo', 3, 'Fiat 500 Tender Two'); [via Carscoop ]
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We're all now apparently destined to give up our delightful gas-guzzling luxury boats (again) and dump our super-sized SUVs in favor of wearably small fuel sippers. It seems, thanks to news yesterday that the Dodge Hornet 's still in the mix and planning to head stateside, that at least a few automakers are trying to make them interesting, or are at least making them look interesting. Unfortunately none of them are yet here. But of these unbuyable-here (and in a couple of cases, anywhere) econoboxes, we're wondering which ones you're most interested in — hit the jump. Fiat 500 Fiat has been on again, off again on its plans for a return to the US, but we're hoping eventually to see the reborn Fiat 500 on domestic shores — if for no other reason than to give Mini owners something to think about. Sure, it'll need a little more scoot or a totally different torque curve to get us interested, but the car has style and a superb interior, plus it sips the fuel...
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Topless Fiat fans rejoice, a Cinquecento drop top is on the way. No word on when exactly we (or Europe, rather) will get it, but expect to be able to enjoy the wind in your hair, the sun on your face and the mocking stares of homophobic passersby combined with retro Italian styling by next summer. The 500 god-we're-hoping-they-don't-call-it-Spyder will wear a cloth top, chosen to keep both price and center of gravity low, which is good news for J erry Seinfeld 's East Hampton neighbors.[via J ustAuto ]
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Having a vehicle that looks too plastic-y is never a good thing, but the latest and advanced plastic manufacturers like Borealis and Sabic are looking to the auto-world to help further their cause of plastic. Borealis is using the Fiat 500 as its test vehicle for TPO. TPO is polypropylene-based Daplen thermoplastic olefins, whatever the hell that means. It really just translates to plastic that is very scratch resistant and has the ability to achieve uniform thickness. Opel is getting in on the high-tech plastic game, as well. Sabic is implementing its plastics technology, Visualfx, in an Opel Corsa. This type of plastic uses two-shot molding and hydrographics. The nice part of this technology is that it allows for hardware and wires to be embedded between layers of plastic resin, making running wires a completely different ballgame. Bring on the plastic! [ Core77 ]
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So there I was, just walking near the salt mine office in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, when here's this bright orange Fiat 500 just sitting there , being dwarfed by Civics and Sentras and begging me to take its photograph. I didn't have my camera handy (and, yes, I should carry it with me at all times), so out came the Blur-O-Matic™ cellphone camera. The car's owner is the owner of the restaurant in the background , and he came out to tell me all about his car. Turns out he picked it up in Italy for $500, shipped it back here, and has been using it as his daily driver ever since. This guy definitely gets the Jalopnik Stamp Of Approval! galleryPost('DOTSBESFFiat500', 6, '1970 Fiat 500 Down On The San Francisco Street');
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While we feel as if we're no stranger to the new Abarth-tuned Fiat 500 -- we've seen all the press shots , seen all the leaked specs and even seen a gigantic Fiat-pooping 500 -- it doesn't compare to seeing it in person. Here's our first glimpse at the tarted-up Abarth 500, and although not as cute as the cinquecento, it's still as adorable as the base model. And now there's even 33% more power to love as the folks at the Turin-founded and now Fiat-owned Abarth have turbo'ed that 1.4-liter gas engine, bumping the power up from the meek 100 bhp (as Ben found out in his test drive of Fiat's 2007 small hotness ) to 135 bhp at 5500 rpm. That power-play gives the 500 a 0-to-62 mph grade of 8.2 seconds. Not too shabby and definitely allows the remnants of the Abarth family to rest easy knowing the "small but wicked" past continues into the present. Full press release after the jump. galleryPost('abarth500geneva', 12, 'The Small Fiat 500 Abarth...
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Our impromptu review of the 2007 Fiat 500 revealed few weaknesses in the little car but chief among them was the less than satisfying engine performance. Well, now Abarth has announced production for the repowered reborn Cinquecento. The 1.4L gas engine gets a turbo which works to provide a much needed bump in power from 100 bhp to 155 bhp at 5500 rpm. That 55% increase in power pushes acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h down to a passable 8.2 seconds. Along with the power, the new Abarth 500 gets a revised nose and snazzy paint jobs as well as bigger wheels and tires. We'll be waiting for Abarth to send us one just like we asked for in December. High res version of the above press shot available here . 18/02/2008 Abarth The return of the Abarth brand continues to bring new challenges. The 'Scorpion' philosophy, which is conveyed in all the brand's activities with passion and tradition, continues to excite sports car lovers everywhere. As envisaged by the plans to revive the...
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Our impromptu review of the 2007 Fiat 500 revealed few weaknesses in the little car but chief among them was the less than satisfying engine performance. Well, now Abarth has announced production for an up-powered version of the reborn Cinquecento. The 1.4-liter gas engine gets a turbo to bump the power from 100 bhp to 155 bhp at 5500 rpm. That 55% increase in power pushes the 0-to-62 mph time down to 8.2 seconds. Along with the power boost, the new Abarth 500 gets a revised nose and snazzy paint jobs as well as bigger wheels and tires. We're waiting for Abarth to send us one just like we asked for last December. High res version of the above press shot available here . 18/02/2008 Abarth The return of the Abarth brand continues to bring new challenges. The 'Scorpion' philosophy, which is conveyed in all the brand's activities with passion and tradition, continues to excite sports car lovers everywhere. As envisaged by the plans to revive the brand, the Abarth & C. Spa...
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newVideoPlayer("fiat500train_jalopnik.flv", 475, 376,""); In America, we tend to celebrate winning a COTY award by taking the car to the track and running all sorts of ridiculous ads with gospel choirs and the like. In Europe, Fiat is celebrating the European COTY Award by taking their tiny ride to the Berlin subway. And while this may conjure up images of Mini Coopers a la The Italian job , these cars are actually on tracks. Because this is Berlin, the car is also celebrating the victory as the 2008 Gay COTY. Through the end of the month, two Fiat 500's will be pulled by a train through the subway with a sign proclaiming "Happy New Car Of The Year Everybody." Those crazy Germans. [ World Car Fans ]
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A tour of Germany wouldn't be complete without test-driving some of Europe's forbidden fruits, now would it? In our case we just couldn't pass on the opportunity to sample Fiat's new retro mobile, the reborn Cinquecento. The Bamberg Fiat dealer was more than willing to let us grab the keys for a trip around the block given that we'd provide a little free publicity. So if you're ever in Germany and hankering for a Fiat, maybe think of Matthias Steinfurth at AutoHaus Wittig GmbH & Co. Let it never be said that we don't whore ourselves out to get behind a fancy steering wheel -- we're just not cheap. galleryPost('fiat500final', 9, '2008 Fiat 500 First Drive'); Kicking the tires: First walk around the car is impressive, especially for the high-end models (€14,500). The 500's design is harmonious in every detail. This particular dealer is smart enough to have a vintage 500 right next to the new one; the size difference is astounding. We...
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Europe has selected its COTY and it's Fiat's itty-bitty 500/Cinquecento, a car that's impossible not to like. As you'll remember, last year's winner was the edgy and muscular Ford S-Max . In order to win the honors, the micocar had to best the second place Mazda 2 and third place Ford Mondeo. The award will be officially announced Monday, but we're just happy to have an excuse to run these pics again.galleryPost('fiat500ext', 4, 'Fiat Cinquecento');[ Reuters ]
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Maurizio Manna over at the Italian online site for all things "motori" let us know that some rapscallions and net-wise whipper-snappers have taken advantage of the web home of the world's most adorable car -- the Fiat 500 . Apparently one of these "hacx0rs" -- the slang term for young'ins using their computer to break into web sites when they're not searching for something they call "pr0n." One particular "hacx0r," who calls him/herself "Prime Suspect," broke into the Fiat server farm and has defaced the 500's front page. The worst part is he/she didn't seem to do anything more than that. In our day -- back when we were arrested by the US Secret Service for writing a computer virus and banned from using a computer until our 18th birthday we and our new-found friends (including this one chick who looked suspiciously like an angel named Jolie) discovered a plot to unleash a dangerous computer virus, we had to use our mad computer skills to find the evidence while being pursued by the Secret...
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In a fiery display of the globe warming, Mount Etna blew its freaking top again yesterday. Residents of Catania were largely unaffected, and continued to motor about in ash covered Fiat Cinquecentos. The Pope slept through the entire event. [ Sicily's...
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